Average Cost of Motorcycle Insurance (2019)

Motorcycle insurance is required in most states in the U.S. but regardless of local laws, riders should purchase a policy to protect their bike and financial well-being. The average cost of motorcycle insurance is $519 per year in the U.S., which is well below the average cost of auto insurance. But, depending on which state you live in, average motorcycle insurance rates can vary by over 200%.

Average Cost of Motorcycle Insurance: By State

We performed a study reviewing motorcycle insurance quotes across all 50 states to see what the average cost of motorcycle insurance quotes was in each one. We then took the aggregate of those prices and found that the average annual motorcycle insurance rate in the U.S. was $519. You can see how much motorcycle insurance costs on average per month, in your state, in the table below.

State

Monthly Insurance Rate

Annual Motorcycle Insurance Rate

% Change vs Avg

Alabama

$42

$502

-3%

Alaska

$32

$389

-25%

Arizona

$56

$673

30%

Arkansas

$51

$615

18%

California

$55

$665

28%

Colorado

$45

$534

3%

Connecticut

$32

$389

-25%

Delaware

$61

$734

41%

Florida

$57

$689

33%

Georgia

$46

$556

7%

Hawaii

$38

$458

-12%

Idaho

$42

$509

-2%

Illinois

$44

$533

3%

Indiana

$42

$499

-4%

Iowa

$27

$323

-38%

Kansas

$36

$432

-17%

Kentucky

$43

$515

-1%

Louisiana

$75

$896

73%

Maine

$32

$380

-27%

Maryland

$44

$529

2%

Massachusetts

$50

$605

17%

Michigan

$62

$746

44%

Minnesota

$31

$371

-29%

Mississippi

$43

$521

0%

Missouri

$49

$589

13%

Montana

$31

$367

-29%

Nebraska

$34

$404

-22%

Nevada

$40

$480

-8%

New Hampshire

$29

$352

-32%

New Jersey

$48

$573

10%

New Mexico

$50

$597

15%

New York

$45

$537

3%

North Carolina

$46

$551

6%

North Dakota

$24

$283

-45%

Ohio

$38

$457

-12%

Oklahoma

$28

$341

-34%

Oregon

$42

$501

-3%

Pennsylvania

$43

$512

-1%

Rhode Island

$45

$537

3%

South Carolina

$53

$639

23%

South Dakota

$32

$387

-25%

Tennessee

$52

$620

19%

Texas

$62

$749

44%

Utah

$46

$554

7%

Vermont

$34

$408

-21%

Virginia

$39

$470

-9%

Washington

$41

$488

-6%

West Virginia

$52

$618

19%

Wisconsin

$41

$496

-4%

Wyoming

$30

$354

-32%

U.S. Average

$43

$519

0%

The average annual and monthly motorcycle insurance rates are rounded to the nearest whole dollar amount.

To estimate average rates, our study used a male, 45-year-old sample rider and gathered quotes from as many as five major motorcycle insurance carriers in each state. We calculated average quote using a sample insurance policy which included bodily injury protection of $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident and $50,000 in property damage coverage. The deductibles for both comprehensive and collision coverage were $500.

States With The Lowest Average Motorcycle Insurance Cost

The five states with the most affordable motorcycle insurance quotes all had rates that were at least 32% lower than the average in the U.S. With the exception of New Hampshire, all of the states with the cheapest rates were also located in the Midwest and Great Plains regions of the U.S. Interestingly, the cheapest states also have some of the highest number of registered motorcycles per resident. New Hampshire has one motorcycle for every 17 people in the state, which is second in the U.S. only to South Dakota, which had the ninth cheapest rates but led the country with one bike for every 12 people.

States With The Highest Average Cost of Motorcycle Insurance

Unlike the states with the cheapest motorcycle insurance, those with the most expensive rates were more geographically separated from one another. The number of residents per bike seems to correlate with the most expensive states as well. Out of the five states with the most expensive motorcycle insurance premiums, Louisiana has one bike per 67 people, Texas has 58, Florida has 33, Michigan has 32 and Delaware has 30. All ranked well down the list of states in terms of residents per motorcycle registered in the state.

The monthly motorcycle insurance cost is typically more expensive for a full year of coverage than if you pay for a policy in-full. This is a discount commonly offered by the top insurers, such as Progressive, Esurance and Nationwide. So, if you live in a higher-cost state or are looking for cheaper rates, you may be able to save money by paying for 6 to 12 months of motorcycle insurance coverage at a time instead of paying monthly.

How Do Motorcycle Insurance Rates Change With Age?

In addition to the city you live in, the amount of coverage you purchase and your driving history, motorcycle insurance companies also calculate your cost of coverage based upon your age and years of experience. For example, the same motorcycle insurance policy from Progressive can range in price from $1,434 per year for a 50-year old driver to $2,628 per year for an 18-year old.

Age

Annual Motorcycle Insurance Cost

Monthly Motorcycle Insurance Cost

18

$2,628

$219

21

$1,997

$166

35

$1,545

$129

50

$1,434

$119

Since new riders have less experience, insurers estimate them to be more likely to be involved in an accident, and therefore offer higher quotes. This applies whether you’re a 19-year-old new driver, or an older rider with few years of experience on the road, though teens and those in their early twenties will typically face even higher motorcycle insurance premiums.

Insurance companies will use all safety and risk information available to them when setting your rates, so naturally the type of motorcycle you ride has a large impact on your premiums. Specifically, insurers will consider:

Motorcycle Value: More expensive motorbikes cost more to repair and replace, so insurance companies will charge you more to insure them if you purchase comprehensive and collision insurance.

Bike Safety: Bikes with more safety features—such as anti-lock brakes—are less likely to be involved in an accident, and will generally be cheaper to insure than bikes lacking those features.

Crash Rate: Certain motorcycle models and styles are involved in more accidents than others. If your model of bike is involved in crashes at a high rate, motorcycle insurance companies will assume that you are more likely to file claim.

Theft Rate: Insurance companies will often charge more to cover a bike that is often stolen, because there is a higher chance they'll have to pay out for a comprehensive claim. For this reason, flashy and expensive bikes that are high theft targets will be more expensive to insure.

Sport and supersport bikes (also referred to as street bikes) are generally much more costly to insure than other bikes because they tick a lot of these boxes: they are relatively expensive, often wrecked and are high theft targets.

We collected typical motorcycle insurance rates and found that compared to cruiser style bikes, sports bikes were 388% more expensive to insure, despite having an average blue book value of only 82% more. Similarly, touring bikes were 40% cheaper to insure while having a much higher average value. Below, we've included the average cost to insure various cruiser, touring and street bikes that shows the increased average motorcycle insurance costs.

Style

Motorcycle

Engine Size

Blue Book Value

Average Annual Cost of Insurance

Cruiser

2017 Yamaha V Star 250

250cc

$3,390

$400

2017 Honda Rebel 500

500cc

$5,280

$484

2017 Harley Davidson Street 750

750cc

$6,815

$686

Average:

$5,162

$523

Touring

2017 BMW R 1200 RT

1,200cc

$16,800

$1,400

2017 Harley Davidson Road King

1,746cc

$17,300

$1,523

2017 Honda Gold Wing

1,833cc

$19,820

$1,640

Average:

$17,973

$1,521

Sport

2017 Kawasaki Ninja 300 ABS KRT

300cc

$4,850

$614

2017 Suzuki GSX-R600

600cc

$10,440

$3,895

2017 Ducati SuperSport

937cc

$12,865

$3,152

Average:

$9,385

$2,544

Average annual motorcycle insurance quotes were gathered for a 45-year-old single male rider with no accidents or traffic violations living in Los Angeles, CA.

The Most Frequent Motorcycle Insurance Claims

Motorcycles share the road with personal automobiles but they file different insurance claims most frequently. Single vehicle accidents accounted for the most motorcycle insurance claims, while rear-end collisions accounted for the highest number of auto insurance claims, according to a study by Progressive. A motorcyclist's greatest adversary when it comes to insurance is him or herself and their claims amount to a sizeable losses.

In 2012, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that direct losses due to motorcycle crashes in the U.S. amounted to $16 billion. That estimate included the obvious: emergency services, medical costs including rehabilitation and property damage. It also accounted for things such as loss of market productivity or lost wages, household productivity and insurance costs such as claims and the cost of defense attorneys. According to the most recent data available, the number of motorcycle injuries per year has increased from 81,000 in 2011 to 88,000 in 2015. Additionally, the cost of medical care has increased as well. Taking those factors into consideration, it’s safe to assume that a more current study would result in an even higher direct loss cost.

The table below of Progressive's claims also shows the prevalence of motorcycle theft claims in comparison to other types of claims. Stolen and unrecovered motorcycles accounted for the fourth most motorcycle insurance claims, but theft claims weren't even in the top five of personal auto claims.

Rank

Top Motorcycle Claims By Type

Top Personal Auto Claims By Type

1

Single vehicle

Rear-end

2

Rear-end

Single vehicle

3

Intersection

Parked

4

Stolen and unrecovered

Object coming from the road

5

Parked

Intersection

Motorcycles are just more likely to be stolen that cars and trucks. The most common way thieves take them is simply by hoisting the motorcycle into a van and driving away. The tactic doesn't damage the bike and it makes for a stealthy getaway. It would be extremely difficult to steal a car the same way.

Reported motorcycle thefts in the U.S. increased 2% to 46,467 in 2016, according to calculations from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The good news is that since 2006, motorcycle thefts are actually estimated to be down 30% from 66,774.

California had the highest number of thefts in 2016 (7,506), but it also has the highest number of registered motorcycles -- more than 800,000. Florida had the second highest number of motorcycle thefts but was far behind California, with 4,482 bikes reported stolen.

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